Call for Papers: Nirma University’s International Conference on Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives: Livelihood Challenges with a focus on Farmers [Nov 8-9]; Submit by July 15

Institute of Law, Nirma University (ILNU), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), India and National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD) invite students, research scholars, academicians, policy makers, practitioners, NGOs, regulatory bodies, farmers and various other stakeholders to initiate a dialogue on the theme ‘Strengthening Climate Justice Initiatives: Livelihood Challenges at Local Level with a focus on Farmers’ and to critically analyse the contribution of government policies, legal framework, technology and local initiatives to bring Climate Justice against the challenges faced by farmers at local level.

CONCEPT NOTE

Climate Change is a baneful reality of present times.

It has adversely affected the people and the planet. The contemporary scientific research shows that its impact will get far worse by time, if not properly treated and regulated by human society.

Climate Change is the most difficult challenge to human development in new millennium for which man himself is responsible. Industries, urban townships, vehicles bound pollution and other emissions are to be implicated for this inimical climate change. Unpredictable weather, monsoon and productivity constraints attest the impacts of climate change.

The adverse impact of climate change gets intensified on lives and livelihoods of people in poor, distant and rural areas. Low-income and indigenous communities are affected by compromised health, financial burdens, and social and cultural disruptions.

These communities are the first to experience the negative impacts of climate change such as heat-related illness and death, respiratory illness, infectious diseases, unaffordable rises in energy costs, and extreme natural disasters. The adverse impact gets magnified because in rural areas majority depend upon agriculture as direct or indirect source of income.

Climate change has insidious impact on farming with changes in the physical, chemical and biological profiles of soils, waters and biological parameters which affects the overall productivity of crops or yields. This in turn impacts reduction in income and loss of productive assets ultimately leading to lower quality of life in rural areas.

The biggest challenges of climate change are faced by poor and rural people (In India, mostly involved in agrarian sector) for which the biggest culprit are rich and urban people around the world. These farmers who are least responsible for the adversity caused by climate change are most affected folk globally. This shows the disproportionate burden of climate change.

Climate Justice Initiative is a vision to dissolve and alleviate this unequal burden created by climate change. It is an approach which treats climate change as an issue of human rights and environment justice linking equality and collective rights. It is an effort to deliver cleaner, healthier and ultimately fairer world to live in.

Climate Justice Initiatives entails legal and administrative framework, policies and schemes, technical, technological and financial support by government so that farmers can tackle climate related challenges immediately and sustain such transitions in the future too.

It also demands to put check on those who are responsible for the adversity. In the present context larger questions are that what are the challenges faced by farmers due to climate change? And how far the legal mechanisms and government policies are successful to establish climate justice? For this, Strategic changes in developmental framework, policies and modern advanced technology with backup of legal framework is need of the hour.

SUB THEMES

1. National and International legal framework for Climate Justice.

2. Climate Justice Initiatives and Technology.

3. Local Initiatives to bring Climate Justice.

4. Role of Government Policies and Schemes in Climate Justice Initiatives.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

1. Give voice to farmers understand their options and empower them to act.

2. Suggest inclusive sustainable legal and administrative process with the involvement of all stakeholders to reduce inequality through appropriate redresal system and with protective assistance to get it.

3. Strengthen governance through local level public leadership for better accountability.

4. Improvement in existing legal framework and tools to suggest ensuring preventive and remedial action to reduce vulnerability through transparent credible, long lasting and effective but quick enforcement of climate and related policies.

5. It will examine existing provisions its limitation and suggest needed charges included a new framework.

6. Develop international perspective for UNFCCC- Climate related negotiation to focus on need of farmers and give agriculture weightage as mitigation tool.

7. The recent loss and damage framework entails claims by the developing world from developed countries to provide compensation for the losses and irreversible damage, including non-economic losses associated with climate change. This is based on the tort law extending to such tangible aspects as mass migration, rather than money alone.

In cases of civil negligence, courts have long established that where a proximate cause to a loss can be established. Whether the action was intentional or not, the perpetrator will bear the liability.

8. In the context of climate change and its adverse impact, farming is becoming increasing risky and debt ridden profession. As per NSSO 60% of farmers do not like farming.

PROPOSED OUTCOMES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

1. To suggest policy and programme and initiatives a definite legal and regularly system which provides timely redressal to affected families and empower individuals, communities and nation to develop effective response to climate related challenges.

2. To come out with a declaration climate justice and booklet on over all perspective.

3. To suggest to add this as a subject relevant in educational curriculums.

4. To suggest effective framework of programmes, policies rules and regulation for achieving climate justice at local level for individual families and communications

5. To give voice to concern of farmers and rural poor and sharing their difficulties and facing same collectively at community level through leadership initiatives by sharing knowledge, technologies and provides needed financial support by way direct assistance at local level.

6. To design and develop sustainable development with built in legal framework to ensure effective implementation and accountability of those in public and private governance system who are responsible to provide it.

7. To lead a smooth transition process through which income does not become less, but it grows gradually like that of other non-farm sector despite adverse impacts.

8. To prepare future generation of farmers and leaders to convert these adversities in to opportunity.

*Students are required to attach copy of Student ID card. Students’ category is for all the graduate, post graduate and post-doctoral researchers. In case ID is not attached then registration fee of delegates would be applicable.

Accommodation: we are not providing any accommodation as such. But we are facilitating and ensuring your pleasant stay during your participation in the international conference. Soon on our website you would find the information and links regarding the modest accommodation at a reasonable price. So we suggest you to kindly keep referring to our website www.climatesmartagri.org

Conference Registration Fee (Farmers)

Rs. 300

Mode of Payment:

Demand Draft – In Favour of “National Council for Climate Change” Cheque – In Favour of “National Council for Climate Change” payable at Bank of India, (Ahmedabad) – Saving Account 23410110002203 .

Those who wish to transfer the fee electronically should clearly indicate the transaction number, bank, amount and date for validation.

The registration form along with registration fee (DD/Cheque) should be sent to/ in Favour of :-Institute of Law, Nirma University, SG Highway, Ahmedabad-382481(Gujarat), India.

Important Dates:

Abstract Submission – July 15, 2014

Acknowledgment of Abstracts – August 01, 2014

Full Paper Submission – September 15, 2014

Paper Publication:

Selected papers, based on the merit, would be published in an edited volume with an internationally renowned publisher having ISBN No.

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